Brown's two picks provide major boost to Giants' defense

Monday

Dec 10, 2012 at 2:00 AM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants tight end Martellus Bennett joked that safety Stevie Brown looked like a young Ed Reed. Bennett's comparison, at least for parts of this season, actually might have some merit.

KEVIN GLEASON

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Giants tight end Martellus Bennett joked that safety Stevie Brown looked like a young Ed Reed. Bennett's comparison, at least for parts of this season, actually might have some merit.

Brown had two more interceptions on Sunday, including an electrifying pick and ensuing 70-yard return in the fourth quarter that looked an awful lot like the future Hall of Fame defensive back for the Ravens. It led to a field goal with 10:19 left that gave the Giants an 18-point lead on their way to beating New Orleans 52-27 at MetLife Stadium.

"The one he picked in the fourth quarter — boy was the timing right,'' Giants coach Tom Coughlin said at the podium. They had flipped the momentum on us almost completely. We weren't doing much about it at the time. But thank goodness he makes that play, and we end up kicking a field goal.''

Brown's 91 yards in interception returns gave him 259 return yards to break the team record set by Emlen Tunnell in 1949 and matched by Dick Lynch in '63. Brown's seven interceptions are the most by a Giant since Mark Haynes had seven in 1984.

Thank goodness for Brown, who has done significantly more than provide an adequate replacement for the injured Kenny Phillips, inactive again on Sunday. Brown was so good on Sunday that he was chosen to greet the media in the separate interview room afforded players in high demand by the press.

The seventh-round draft pick on his third team in three seasons has become a vital part of the Giants' defense.

Brown spent the interview time talking about the team and not him. "We had a great week of practice,'' he said. "So we just tried to carry it over into the game.''

Inside the locker room, players were asked about Antrel Rolle's mid-week declaration that the Giants needed to get a little edgier, a little scrappier. Needed to get some "dog" in them, is how Rolle explained it. The message came through loud and clear, once more proving that Rolle carries one of the most important voices in the room.

"That's what you need,'' Jason Pierre-Paul said. "On defense, you need some dog like that and that's what we were doing.''

Still, Pierre-Paul wasn't ready to hand out any ribbons to the defense. "We had some busted plays,'' he said. "We still haven't played our great football yet.''

"I think everyone knows now that Antrel thinks about what he is going to say,'' Coughlin said. "And what he does say, at this point in time, people take it in a very positive vein.''